


darling, the stars know the truth

by HiddenEye



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Galra Keith (Voltron), M/M, some violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-17
Updated: 2016-08-17
Packaged: 2018-08-09 08:48:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7795234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HiddenEye/pseuds/HiddenEye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I need to see them," Shiro insisted, tightening his hold when Keith only stood still. "I need to know where they are."</p><p>"And there's nothing I can do about it," Keith jerked his hand from Shiro's grip. "I don't know where they are, I don't know if there's even a possibility of you seeing them again. <em>Demanding</em> me," he took a step back, leveling his gaze with the man before him. "Of their whereabouts won't solve anything."</p><p>"But you said they were <em>safe</em>," Shiro growled. "How would you know if they were safe when you don't even know where they are?"</p><p>Keith showed him a row of teeth, feral, a reminder of what he was. "Trust me."</p><p>-</p><p>Perhaps getting to know Shiro would help Keith know his own heritage, where he would find out all  about the things his human mother didn't manage to tell him before she left. In exchange of Shiro and his crew's freedom, he thought it was a rather fitting promise.</p><p>Getting attracted wasn't on the list.</p>
            </blockquote>





	darling, the stars know the truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've started another fic when I should have finish off my other fics first. But then, you can't stop inspiration when it's on the role so 
> 
> *shrugs*
> 
> Anyway, this is a Galra!Keith fanfic, where in an alternate universe, Keith lives in a giant ship all the way in outer space with nothing but giant purple coloured cats hissing at him for the next of his life. 
> 
> This fic is un-beta'd, so any mistakes are mine to blame. And I'll be adding more tags and probably will change the rating later.
> 
> Kudos, bookmarks and comments are highly appreciated! :)

They found them on one of the moons.

The humans, he meant.

When Keith was younger, he never actually understood the real purpose of taking in species that weren't Galra, picking them up like those lost dogs Earth had from various moons and planets they happened to pass by. He knew, of course, most of the other species were used as slaves, delivered from one vast ship to another to mend the incasualities that managed to occur or work underground in the engine room. He remembered pressing his small face into the large windows to see the cockpits being assisted by the Galran soldiers, remembered being confused why those children were terrified when they would have played with him.

He never understood why one of the soldiers would tell him to lock himself up in his room, activating the sound-proof system from outside.

He never really liked his room, it didn't have windows like other rooms had.

As he grew older, however, he found out that those moons and planets they 'happened to pass by' were deliberate and thought of, planed from the start. Around the age of nine, he managed to weasel his way out of his room to quench his curiousity by hiding in the ventilating fan, and he saw the way the soldiers controlled the keypad in front of them, hands fleeting as they pressed buttons he learned from his toturs on ways to mend the ship. A second later, he heard the sound of lasers being activated, and he saw the way they shot the flying ships that was aimed towards them.

His younger self was scared, but he was still curious, flabbergasted maybe, and so he scrambled his way down the narrow space before kicking himself out, running towards the room where he always played when he didn't have to study.

But this time, he ignored the box of the few toys he had at the corner of the room and pressed himself against the glass, eyes wide and breath heavy as he saw what laid out in front of him.

War and chaos.

Ships smaller than theirs shooting beams and lasers and them firing back, ships catapaulting through the galaxy to attack them while they attack back, and ships falling into the abyss while they stayed strong.

His younger self watched until it was over, and to him, it felt like days until debris started to float around them while Galran soldiers descended upon the planet they fought with.

And that was when the cockpits came.

"What are you doing out of your room, little one?"

Swivelling around, Keith saw the witch standing at the door. Despite the hood she wore, he knew she was actually watching him, and he knew that if he crossed her in anyway, she would not hesitate on killing him if she pleased.

Swallowing the ball in his throat, he stood straight, like any soldier would when they were in her presence. "Watching."

Haggar seemed to scruntinise him for a moment, before a horrendous grin stretched across her scarred face as she began to walk towards him, and he only stood his ground despite wanting to run away from her. "Fascinating, isn't it?" She chuckled. "All the power we have in our hands, and yet we're still not good enough."

He didn't understood what she meant when she said that, and she didn't elaborate any further when she stood beside him, back hunched as she let herself faced towards the outside. "How is your training?"

He didn't nod, because good soldiers didn't show any type of movement when they were in other people's presence, or so he was told by his teachers during his lessons. "Good. They say I have potential."

"As you should be, being Commander Sendak's nephew," she sniffed in disdain. But then, she glanced at him, and he tried not to squirm under her sharp gaze. "Or you would shame him as your father had."

He bowed his head, discreetly clenching his jaw at the mention of his uncle's brother, his _father_ , the one that caused so many soldiers and other Galrans to hate him so strongly despite him being a child, where other Galran children would avoid him because their parents told them not to come near him, because he was the son of Thace.

The Galrans were prideful, a Galra who wasn't a full blood might as well not be a Galra at all.

He heard the whispers, despite them thinking he didn't. Those sharp hisses of _tainted blood_ and growls of _scum_ reached his ears that caused him to walk a little faster than before as he made his way to his teachers' lessons, even they were not so fond of him as he wished a teacher to a student would be.

He knew he wasn't full Galra, he knew he wasn't going to be as big as the soldiers he saw daily.

He was, after all, half human.

And the fact that he could shapeshift himself to look like them made him even more careful when he crossed the hallways of the ship, fearing for his life when he was still trying to control the ability he had as tried to make himself as small as possible without attracting more attention than necessary, especialy that could alert Haggar of what he can do.

"Of course," he answered to the her quiet threat, avoiding her gaze as he merely stared out of the window, pushing back the tight ball that occupied his throat. "I'll make him proud."

She hummed. "Your insistence is admirable, but your impatience is not," he felt a twinge of fear when he turned his head towards her way. "I have heard of your lack of peace, you become out of sync when you do. And our fleet does not have the need to fail from your reckless behaviour."

She had no right to comment on his progress when she had nothing to do with him, but he supposed, nothing would get past her if she allowed it.

Any other soldier would have bowed his head and stayed silent, but he held her stare, silently challenging the witch. "I'll make sure I'd improve myself."

Her eyes seemed to flash at his dare, but she only grinned again. "Do not prove me wrong, little one."

He didn't, for the next ten years he had been top of his classes, beating every Galra student in piloting various types of ships, Galran or not. His excellent way of handling a sword was considered as admirable by most people despite the grudgingness they possess. He was once given compliments for his great ability to spar by one of the soldiers who was patrolling the ships, and he had to actually blink a few times to make sure his brain wasn't actually making things up out of sheer loneliness. Some even remarked that he would be able to take Sendak's place in no time.

Keith knew that wasn't true. While he was able to do those things, he wasn't good with giving orders. Too brash, they say, doing things impulsively and through instinct without actually taking full consideration of the fact that he was supposed to work with a _team,_ with a clan of soldiers that would be under his command. If he didn't have the level-headedness of a leader, then everyone might as well be shot in the heart with their own weapon and by their own hand.

"You are a soldier," Sendak once growled at him after one of his ruthless stunts traveled down the halls of the eerie ship and reaches to his ears. "Not a pompous rogue wanting to prove others wrong."

Keith merely cocked his head to the side as acknowledgement.

Besides, what orders was there to give when there were no people to listen to him, all because of what he was?

Shaking the thought out of his mind, he continued to stay still as he hid himself further behind one of the cloaks he nicked from someone a few weeks back, staying completely out of sight as the crowd around him roared into cheers and defeaning screams when one of the vicious monsters came out into the clearing.

It was an ugly thing, with sagging green skin and missing crooked teeth that Keith was able to see spit flying all over as it answered to the crowds' call, stabbing the skyline with its weapon that the purple orb on top of it seemed to glow brightly than before, the air around it disturbed by its amount of energy.

The Galra soldiers found it during the time they invaded one of the planets, and by that time, Keith already understood other prospects of having more slaves on board.

For sports, something to play with or bount for while they wait for another planet to take over.

He always avoided these things, these _games_ that every Galra seemed to talk about for as long as he could remember, because he knew how they treated the prisoners underneath all the glory, how they handled them to their own selfish needs before chucking them all in the cell.

But today was special.

They got themselves some humans, a rare opportunity some of the guards said.

Additionally, half of what he was.

And like everyone else in the massive room, he'd be damned if he let this pass.

There were three humans they managed to snatch, two tall ones while the other was smaller than them, maybe smaller than Keith himself. And the only reason he knew they were going to be used as a play thing and not being thrown into the cells to rot was because the guards couldn't keep their mouths shut on how much they were betting for who to survive and win, and that wasn't to say he had the amazing ability to blend into dark corners to listen to their gruffs of agreement.

That was, of course, if the humans managed to survive the fight.

The first one to come out was the human biggest amongst the three.

Keith straightened up slightly to peer at him. He took note of his wide shoulders and jet black hair, the way he clutched the sword in his hand while a shield in the other as he wildly turned around to marvel at the size of the arena, eyes wide, lips pursed with fury and condensation. Keith dragged his eyes over the human, mesmerising the way he looked so that Keith was able to recognise him later on.

Keith had a feeling that this human was able to fend for himself, since the way he held the sword was a giveaway at how familiar he was at using it.

The bell rang, and the Gladiator made the first move with a scream that echoed through the whole arena.

As if on impulse, the human managed to dive behind a pillar to avoid the purple orb that was flung towards him, causing it to smash against the tall stone that a rain of debris flew around the arena. Keith was able to see the way the human was pressing himself against the pillar, squeezing his eyes shut.

The crowd cheered when the orb went back to its master, before the Gladiator threw it against the pillar again that the arena Keith was sitting on seemed to vibrate at the amplitude of the screams.

Keith was able to see the way the human took a deep breath from where he hid, before he sprinted out of his hiding place with his sword raised, shield in place as he let out a roar.

The Gladiator answered it with his own as it threw the purple orb towards him, but the human managed to dodge it easily as he went on with his charge, striking the sword upon the green monster, but it swiped him away as if he was merely a fly before he managed to get a hit.

Keith leaned forward as he watched the human slammed the point of the sword into the ground, preventing himself from falling down as he braced himself against the floor. The human straightened himself fully and was about to attack again when the purple orb barraled into his side, causing him to fly into the pillar.

The crowd went wild again.

"Come on," Keith muttered as he watched the way the human pulled himself up, holding onto his side that had been hit with his teeth bared into a snarl. "That's it."

It went on for a while, the Gladiator not getting a scratch while the human was getting plummeted so easily that Keith was sure he had many bones broken inside him. But still he stood up, still he fought even if he was easily tossed aside.

The human was currently hiding behind the pillar again, battered and bruised as Keith saw the obvious way the human was breathing heavily, shield already abandoned as he clutched onto the sword as if his life depended on it.

And the Gladiotor hit the pillar again.

And again.

Keith focused on the expression the human currently donned, tight with tension and exhaustion as he slumped against the stone for support, his bottom lip split open that made red blood trail down his chin and neck as it dripped against the tunic the Galran soldiers no doubt made him wear. A purple bruise was already blooming against his cheek, almost swallowing his eye that Keith wondered if he was able to see properly at this rate.

The human took a deep breath, wincing slightly when he touched his ribs, before holding the sword with both hands.

And then, he twisted himself away from the pillar and raised his sword above his head, lips pursed tightly.

The Gladiator seemed to be gleeful when the human presented himself to it, and maneuvered the purple orb so that it hit the human in the leg.

The sickening crunch of bone mingled with the loud scream that tore out of the human's throat, and Keith thinned his lips when he saw the human dropped to the ground with his hands around his knee, teeth gritted with pain.

The Gladiator roared with triumph, one that was easily answered with the crowd. The Gladiator advanced the human then, his weapon raised as he no doubt wanted to finish off the human's life.

Something twisted in Keith's chest when he forced himself to watch the way the Gladiator was getting closer, now standing above the human with its weapon hung at its side.

The Gladiator struck out its foot and kicked the human in his abdomen, causing the human to be flung towards the pillar with a gasp loud enough for Keith to hear at where he sat at the third row, and another broken bone could be heard.

Keith's fingers itched to reach for the small laser gun that he strapped to his thigh, something akin to frustration and anger licked in his chest at the thought they were just going to get rid of the human when this was the only chance Keith ever meet one just like him, to know everything that he needed to know of the other half of his species.

But before the Gladiator had another chance to deliver the death blow upon the human, a lash of chains suddenly wrapped themselves up around the Gladiator's wrists, its hands just an inch or two above the human's unconscious face. Another couple of chains whipped themselves around the Gladiator's calves, pulling it back so that it wasn't anywhere near the human.

Keith recognised the purple glow of the chaines and tried looking for the source, and saw a couple of Druids at the mouth of the cave the Gladiator initially came out of.

Narrowing his eyes, Keith knew that the Galran handlers usually let the Gladiator kill whatever pray they tossed in the arena, but the fact that the Druids had to prevent the Gladiator from killing the human made Keith wonder if there was something they were hiding.

He wouldn't be surprised if they did.

Looking back at the human, Keith saw the way he was being hauled onto a stretcher, where the Druids didn't looked concerned that the human was hardly breathing as they bought him out of the arena, ignoring the outrage that boomed around them.

Keith stood up and slipped his way out unnoticed, avoiding knocking into elbows and thundering feet alike.

 

* * *

 

It became a common thing for Keith to spar with Sendak once in every month, and despite his need to avoid it, he knew that Sendak would view it as a weakness, and the punishment that came after that was what made Keith bare with Sendak's strong hits.

The only sounds that came from the training room were their swords that clashed against one another, where they were the only two people there as the crowd scrambled out the moment both kin step foot into the room.

Keith only gripped the hilt of the sword tighter when he smelled the wiff of fear coming from the soldiers that got out.

He knew that Sendak didn't hold back on his blows when he fought with him ever since he was only ten, where younger Keith learned that while his uncle had the bulk and strength of any Galran soldier would, Keith possessed the agility and speed that none of them match.

The fight would last long enough until one of them knocked the other out, and Keith had the upper hand as more time passed.

He pressed the tip of the sword into Sendak's chest, not enough to puncture the skin, but Sendak knew when he was defeated by his own nephew, and stayed still under the blade while glowering at Keith from where he laid.

Mentally, Keith counted until five before he slowly withdrew his weapon, taking a few steps back to give himself some air, twisting the blade in his hand.

"You're getting better," Sendak commented smoothly as he stood up, and Keith faced his back towards him as he made his way towards the bench. "This spar was shorter than before."

"Slightly." Keith said as he reached for his bottle. "There's not much difference."

"Every second counts," Sendak growls as Keith took a gulp of his drink. "As you know it. If you loose your focus for even half of it, you could find yourself dead."

Keith wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Of course."

Silence was a common thing between them as they rested, with Keith staring out to the vastness of the galaxy while Sendak made himself comfortable by sitting on the bench, his own bottle of water in hand.

"What are your thoughts of the human?"

Keith stiffened for a moment before forcing himself to relax, knowing that Sendak was testing him as he scrutinised Keith for a reaction, a flawed move that could get him into trouble.

Keith raised the rim of the bottle to his mouth. "I've no comment."

"Oh? Not even one?"

"No."

Sendak hummed thoughtfully. "A shame. I was going to ask an opinion from you on how he did in the arena, since you had enough fascination to go there and see him fight." He paused. "Unlike all the other creatures we've used before."

Keith tried not to work on his jaw, to show how Sendak's mockery was trying to dig their way under his skin. He settled for turning his head slightly to peer at him at the corner of his eye. "Just because I have human blood?" Keith indicated monotonously. "You're too kind, commander."

Sendak's eyes flashed dangerously at his jab, but Keith ignored it when he looked back outside. He shouldn't be surprised that Sendak knew of his little escape to the arena, but he was so careful that day to make sure that he went unnoticed. Obviously, it was futile. "He broke eight difference places in his body," he offered blandly. "He may be familiar with holding the sword, but it's obvious he wasn't an experienced fighter."

"Why?"

Keith reigned in the urge to sigh heavily, and instead he levelled his gaze towards Sendak. "He hesitated."

Sendak nodded slowly. "Good, so you were paying attention." He got up from his seat, towering over Keith. "And I suggest you don't come near him as well as the other humans, I know your curiousity can get hold of you before you can resist it."

Keith narrowed his eyes. "Why ask me of him if you're just going to tell me to stay away?"

Sendak smirked. "Emperor Zarkon is training him to be a powerful weapon in our army, he'll be our most prized possession. Any sort of contact with him would be prohibited from now on, unless the Druids seemed fit on, ah, experimenting our latest technology onto him and his comrades. But other than that," he gave Keith a once over. "Distractions would be grievous."

Keith felt something churn at how easily Sendak explained the progress that the humans would be going through later, and the thought of them used as another play thing for Galra and the Druids made anger seized his veins again. The thought them being tainted with Galra doings, and into something as twisted as _Keith_ himself was already making the invisible weight of restlessness clung onto his shoulders.

He shook the thought away, wanting to get rid of those thoughts before Sendak saw them. "A human being for a pawn?" Keith asked warily. "Even after I exposed his weaknesses?"

"You question the Emperor's choice?"

Keith held Sendak's stare for a while before looking away. "No."

"And remember it," He waved Keith away. "Dismissed."

Keith bowed shallowly. "Commander Sendak."

With a turn of his heel, Keith stalked his way out of the room, clutching onto his sword.

He made a sharp turn to the left instead of going to his room, steadily ignoring the way the empty halls felt a little small around him as he tried to calm himself down. He side stepped the droids that were scouting the east wing before making his way into the lift, shoving the button to the required floor he wanted to go.

He hoped that the Druids had left the infirmary once he arrived.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. When he peered through the small windows on the doors, he was able to see the way the Druids crowded around the human, but Keith wasn't able to see the human himself.

But, Keith was able to hear his screams of torture as the Druids snapped his bones back together with their usual work of magic.

Grinding his teeth together, Keith had to wait for the Druids to move so that he was able to see the condition of the human properly, and it felt like hours until they did for Keith to have a look at him.

The human was heaving in breaths, eyes still squeezed shut with pain with his head thrown back, trying to free himself from the bonds that were strapped over his body, preventing him from making anymore movements than necessary. Keith was able to see the scratches that marked his skin, with bruises that were turning yellow after a short amount of time along with dried blood that caked on his upper lip and temple.

Keith couldn't look at him any longer as he teared himself away from the door, knowing that he'll have to get used to the way the human would look after battle if Keith was going to see him again later.

He made a vow to make sure no one would follow him then.

 

* * *

 

As suspected, the time for the human to heal was only for two days with the help of the Druids doing, faster than any other alien they had had their hands on.

Keith was beginning to understand why Zarkon had chosen a human to fight for him.

Though the bones were mended, the human had yet woken up from his coma, and Keith took his time in studying the human at that time once he managed to slip through the defences easily, leaning beside the windows of the door so that he was able to hear any footsteps coming towards him.

The only light that was switched on was those above the human, shining on him glaringly that it was able to catch every scar and mark on his pale skin, and Keith took note that the bruise on his cheek had already disappeared. Black straps no longer stretched over his torso and legs, but thick silver cuffs clamped onto his wrists and ankles, a precaution that the Druids had thought of.

Slowly, Keith walked nearer towards him; curious, fascinated, that he was able to finally meet the other half of what he was after all these time of being sneered of his heritage. He stopped at the edge of the cot, letting his eyes wonder over the slope of the human's nose, the long lashes that rested on his cheeks, and the way those bow shaped lips parted slightly as he breathed.

Keith thinned his lips as he held up his own hand; lavender and clawed, such a contrast to the human in front of him.

He concentrated, imagining that his hand was taking the shape and colour similar of the human, feeling the crawl of his own skin travelling around his fingers and wrist that furled his fingers in for a moment to let the moment pass.

And when he opened his hand, it was human.

Agile, blunt around the nails, and he liked it this way.

He liked to be reminded that even though he was a part of a species that killed planets to find a powerful weapon, another part of him wasn't them.

Softer, in a way.

 _Even if_ , he thought as he glanced down at the human as he let his hand change back to Galra. _Looks can be deceiving._

Abruptly, the human snapped his eyes open.

Keith took a startled step back as the human began to cough violently, the sound seemed to bounce off the walls of the empty room that could have alerted a whole fleet.

Keith glanced panickly out of the small windows, and when there weren't any droids or guards came barrelling through, he looked back at the human; who was heaving in mouthfuls of air as he tried to breathe properly, head lolled to the side as he tried to keep his eyes open despite his need to rest again.

Something prompted Keith to look for anything to _help_ the human, and when his eyes land on the cup and jar of water on the counter, he marched towards it and filled the cup full before standing beside the human again, but hesitated as he glanced at the cup.

"Must be out of my mind," Keith muttered as he dragged his gaze to the human, the cup suddenly felt heavy in his hand while the human breathed shallowly.

The human jerked away when Keith tried to slip a hand on his nape, and let out an impatient growl when the human did it again. "Hold still," Keith grunted, lifting the human's head firmly as he brought the cup to his lips. "After what the Druids did to you, you'll need this."

Though he was probably delusional, the human took an eager gulp when Keith fed him water, drops of them escaping the corners of his mouth.

Once it was empty, Keith slowly withdrew from the human, watching the way he was already breathing properly as Keith put the cup back to its place.

The human took a few moments trying to refocus his eye sight, blinking away the last of his sleep before turning to the side to avoid the bright light, and instead landed his gaze onto Keith.

Keith watched the way he froze at the sight of him, and Keith couldn't help but let the bitter smile twitched at the corner of his mouth.

Neither of them said a word as they stared at each other, but it was the human who broke the silence with a growl that was surprisingly animal like. "Where am I? Who are you?"

The venom in his voice didn't surprise Keith, and he slipped on his mask of indifference when addressing the struggling human as he tugged on his bonds, easily ignoring the last question. "Infirmary, and whatever it is you're doing would be fruitless."

The human stopped, snapping his head at Keith with something akin to panic mingling with desperation in his eyes. "How long was I out? Where's my crew?"

Keith didn't say a word as he merely stood there, the human continued to pull onto his bonds as hard as he could despite what Keith told him just now.

 _Idiot_.

"Your name," Keith piped out that caused the human to pause again, but he didn't look at Keith then as he pursed his lips angrily. "Tell me what it is."

"Why does it matter?" The human gritted out through clenched teeth. "You're just going to let me die anyway."

"Well, I can't always refer you as 'the human' every time now, can I?" Keith replied mildly, crossing his arms over his chest. "And I suggest you don't get your hopes up on dying too soon."

The human let out a sharp breath. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Keith only gazed back at him blankly, cursing mentally at his slip. "Your name."

Working on his jaw for a moment, the human still refused to look at Keith. "Shiro."

Keith cocked his head to the side. "That wasn't so hard now, was it?"

Then, he heard the sound of footsteps coming towards the infirmary, and Keith quickly made his way towards the door, flattening himself up against the wall beside it. He met the human's - _Shiro's_ \- bewildered look. "Don't give me away," Keith warned him, showing a hint of his canines. "It won't do us any good."

"Wait-"

The doors slid open. Keith stayed quiet when a couple of Druids walked in so silently that when he was younger, he always thought they seemed to glide their way to places. He met Shiro's eyes for a split second; dark and terrified hones that Keith would have sworn Shiro was begging for him to stay.

But that wasn't true, for what human would want to ask help from a monster?

Keith quietly slipped out of the infirmary without the Druids knowing just when the doors were about to close, and managed to block out the shouts of alarm Shiro made over the Druids' murmurs of false assurance.

Keith squashed down the sudden guilt as he crossed the hallway and stalked towards the elevator.

 

* * *

 

Keith found out Shiro was thrown into one of the cells the moment he so much had the energy to stand up.

It took Keith some time to find the right one, and when he did -identity hidden in one of the soldiers' armour he managed to take, helmet carefully in place that concealed his face from prying eyes as he crossed the dim hallways of the ship- Shiro had his back pressed against the edge of the room, legs folded to his chest while his arms hung loosely around them, lips pursed with deep thought that he didn't notice the young Galran standing outside the door.

Keith made sure no one was patrolling at this time before letting his hand rest on the scanner, seeing the way the door opened under his command.

He stepped into the dark room, where Shiro was already on his feet as he stood tall against Keith, jaw clenched with wariness and mild hatred as he eyed the Galra in front of him.

Keith studied him for a while as the door behind him shut closed again, where there was only a streak of light from the hallway that shone through the slotted windows, landing on Shiro's hands that Keith was able to see the way he balled his fists tightly, as if expecting a fight.

Reigning in the urge to roll his eyes, Keith pulled out the helmet, briefly catching the way Shiro tensed before Keith took it off completely.

It took a moment for Shiro to recognise him, and when he did, his stance didn't ease up as he narrowed his eyes more. "What do you want?"

Keith tucked the helmet under his arm, letting his body release some of the tension he had been carrying before to show Shiro he wasn't going to do any harm, but not more than he should to protect himself if Shiro decided to have a fist fight with him then; to which he hoped wouldn't happen, lest both of them would get into trouble. "To talk," Keith replied blandly, watching the way the stone cold expression on Shiro's face flickered slightly with surprise. "And the only time we have is now."

Shiro scrutinised him, a frown forming between his eyebrows. "Why?" He asked slowly, unable to push the curiosity that was peeking through his wall of concrete caution.

Leaning against the door, Keith tilted his head to the side, letting his eyes run over the garb Shiro wore, the same tattered clothing that every other prisoners would wear. "Because I want to," he said easily, letting the corner of his lips twitch into something that could have resembled a smirk when Shiro narrowed his gaze suspiciously at him. "Come now, is it so hard to believe I just wanted to talk to you?"

"Among thousands of other prisoners?" Shiro questioned flatly. "Very."

Keith had already mulled over the fact that talking to one of the humans was going to be harder than he suspected. Not only were they going to be hostile the whole moment he would be in their presence, but the fact that they would _refuse_ to talk to him would be a problem he would rather not face.

He didn't want to loose contact with a race that spoke out half of his identity.

He wanted-

He wanted to know _more_.

He couldn't let Shiro know though, this was a secret to him and him alone.

"I understand," Keith began as he held Shiro's wary gaze. "that this might come off as odd to you, but whatever you dealt the other day? It's only the beginning."

It was something. It wasn't what he had in mind initially when he wanted to speak to him but it was _something_.

Shiro straightened up at his words, his jaw slacking a bit from their constant grinding. "What do you mean?" He asked lowly.

"They're going to toss you into the arena to play soldier again." Keith responded, a touch of sarcasm colouring his tone. "Probably changing monsters from time to time until you win or die, but all I'm saying is that you shouldn't resist the soldiers that would come for you later. Not only you'll be wasting your energy when you could have saved it for the fight, but they'll just won't care about you."

"And you do?" Shiro shot back, back as rigid as a coiled spring ready to pounce that Keith realised even in his Galra form, he was still an inch or two shorter than Shiro. "What makes you think I'll believe you after what your people did to me and my crew?"

"I know you won't," Keith replied smoothly. "But if you want to see your crew alive, it would be safer if you listen to what I say."

He barely managed to finish the last of his sentence when Shiro was already onto him. Keith was quick to wrap his hand around Shiro's upcoming fist -just a breath away from his face that Keith felt a brief flicker of surprise at the speed he possessed- watching the way Shiro's eyes widen for a split second before Keith twisted Shiro's arm behind his back, landing a blow at the back of his knees before gripping Shiro's nape with his free hand to shove the human to the floor.

"Attacking me won't gain anything," Keith growled near Shiro's ear, tightening his hold onto him when he began to struggle. "Your friends are now safe, kept in a place to be used for other purposes they seem fit, but at the moment _safe_. Unlike you, who has a chance of dying the moment your step foot out of this jail."

Shiro tried to tug from his bonds, and Keith ignored it. "Why are you doing this?" He choked out from where half of his face was still pressed to the cold floor. "What do you want from me?"

"Like I said," Keith muttered. "I just wanted to talk."

He let go of Shiro before standing up, picking up the helmet he had dropped as he heard the way Shiro stood up as well, doubt heavy in his steps as he stared openly at the back of Keith's head. "Obviously," Keith continued as if he hadn't stop talking, meeting Shiro's look evenly. "You had other plans."

Keith noticed the way Shiro had some problems in standing properly, and raised an eyebrow at him in question. "Your legs," he began. "They're still hurting you?"

Shiro didn't answer at once. "They're a bit stiff, but I'm fine."

_Noble, or was it pride?_

Keith grunted. "Sorry."

"It's fine." Shiro muttered awkwardly, but still remained standing at the other end of the room.

Keith knew he was lying, but only let it go. Shiro was still looking at him as if he didn't know what to do with Keith in his cell, waiting for him to say a word while letting his guard up at the same time. Keith let out a soft sigh, and that was enough to make Shiro freeze.

"You hesitated that day," Keith said as he made his place at the door again, ears perked for any movement outside that would alert him. "When you were fighting that Gladiator in the arena. That's why you got hit."

Shiro stared down at his legs. "I got hit because I've never actually fought with a monster before," Keith met his dark look. "Not because I hesitated."

Keith shrugged. "Well, you're right in that sense, but you _still_ hesitated. And the only way we can prevent that is by making sure you don't." He paused. "But given your situation, it would be difficult."

Shiro frowned. "Are you offering-?"

"Of course not," Keith cut him off with a small scoff. "You think I'll be able to train you in this cramped space? You'll be figuring how to do that on your own and without my help, I'll only be here for the essentials."

"Weapons?"

Keith smiled wryly. "Clever."

Shiro pursed his lips. "Why are you helping me?"

Keith trained his expression into something more passive. "Should I have a reason to tell you?"

"Yes," Shiro slowly sat on the bench, as if he couldn't bare with the pain even if his body language was still screaming danger. "Why help me when your people hates me?"

"My people," Keith prevented himself from spitting out the word, still keeping his face blank. "do not particularly hate you as you thought they would."

There was a flash of confusion that crossed Shiro's face. "What-?"

"You're a sport, a play thing they've managed to pick up along the way," Keith ignored the flinch Shiro made. "Even if they don't actually hate you, they don't like you either. The problem is, they just don't care about you to actually consider what you feel about this, and it's not like they have a choice. They're following orders, rebel isn't actually an option."

"Apparently, you seem familiar with the concept of rebellion." Shiro commented wearily.

Keith shot him a small smirk. "Apparently."

"And under whose orders?"

The smirk widened. "Thinking ways to take him down, human?"

"I would if I knew his name." Shiro replied pointedly.

The amusement dropped from Keith's face. "You don't know what he had done," Keith said quietly. "You don't know the things he would do just for power, 'taking him down' isn't a notion that would happen anytime soon."

Shiro stared at him in disbelief. "Are you saying you haven't started and you're already giving up?"

"I'm saying that he has most of the galaxies in one hand while a fleet of well-trained Galran soldiers in the other," Keith retorted. "Barging in won't-"

He cut himself off, straightening up when he heard the boots of the patrol coming their way. "Patrol," he muttered when he met Shiro's terse look. Keith sunk himself further into the shadows, slipping on the helmet as he flattened himself against the corner. "Stay where you are and don't make a sound."

He watched the way Shiro slumped in his seat as he rested his elbows into his knees, head bowed as he clenched his fingers together, the tuff of hair in his eyes.

Keith tensed when he heard the two soldiers hesitated near the door, their silhouettes appearing on the floor, and from there Keith knew they were newly requited soldiers, curious to see the human that was fighting in the arena.

Shiro merely ignored them.

A minute passed before the two soldiers made their way, and Shiro let out a relieved breath while Keith sighed, walking out of the dark.

When he pressed his hand against the scanner pad, Shiro shot up. "Where are you going?"

"Out." Keith replied as the door opened up for him. "I've been here long enough, it's time I go." He felt some sort of amusement when Shiro frowned at him. "Don't worry, I'll see you again to tell you what you actually have to do."

"What about my friends?" Shiro's voice was calm when he asked this, yet full of power, authority. The thought of him being someone's leader flitted past Keith's thoughts. "Where are they now?"

"Safe, and that's all you need to know." Keith was about to leave when Shiro grabbed his wrist to stop him. Keith narrowed his eyes at the audacity of him to do so.

"I need to see them," Shiro insisted, tightening his hold when Keith only stood still. "I need to know where they are."

"And there's nothing I can do about it," Keith jerked his hand from Shiro's grip. "I don't know where they are, I don't know if there's even a possibility of you seeing them again. _Demanding_ me," he took a step back, leveling his gaze with the man before him. "Of their whereabouts won't solve anything."

"But you said they were _safe_ ," Shiro growled. "How would you know if they were safe when you don't even know where they are?"

Keith showed him a row of teeth, feral, a reminder of what he was. "Trust me."

The way Shiro clenched his jaw was the last thing Keith saw before the door closed.

Walking away, he supposed he shouldn't have aggravated Shiro like that, not when he wanted to know more about the human culture.

Not when he wanted an ally at his side to get out of that ship.

He was about to turn around the corner when he almost bumped into someone, and skidded into a stop.

"Keith."

Keith froze at the sound of the voice, trying to prevent the scowl from tugging down his lips as he only looked straight, refusing to look at the person in the eye. "Since when did you call me by my human name?"

"You prefer your human name after all."

Keith let out a bark of laughter. "My opinions didn't seem to stop you before."

There was a heave of breath released. "Keith-"

" _Father_ ," Keith hissed as he snapped up to look at the Galran in the eye.

The dull hurt in Thace's look and Keith's chest didn't dissipate when they met eye to eye.


End file.
